This application relates to a gear pump, wherein slots are cut into the gear teeth to reduce the effect of cavitation.
Gear pumps are known, and typically include a pair of gears mounted for rotation along parallel axes in a housing. One gear is driven by a source of drive to rotate, and gear teeth on the drive gear engage gear teeth on a driven gear. As the drive gear rotates, its gear teeth contact and drive the driven gear. Fluid is entrained in pockets at the outer periphery of both the drive and driven gears, and caused to move from an inlet to an outlet. The gear teeth from the two gears engage at a central location.
Inter-tooth trapped volumes at the central location raise challenges with regard to the design of a gear pump. In particular, there is a concern with cavitation at this location.
Attempts have been made to address this cavitation problem, and in particular, have included tapping a flow of pressurized fluid through one of the gears, and into the inter-tooth trapped volumes. These solutions have been somewhat complex.